Caoutchouc substance and process of making same.



l l NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ HOFMANN AND CARL COUTELLE, OF ELBERFELD, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO FARBE-NFABRIKEN VORM. FRIEDR. BAYER &; 00., OF ELBERFELD, GERMANY, A

CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

CAOUTCHOUC SUBSTANCE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28, 1910. Serial No. 594,557.

Patented J an. 13, 1914.

H 35GB:

H H CH3 is converted by polymerization into a new caoutchouc substance, which may replace natural caoutchouc in its chemical and technical applications.

The process for producing the new caoutchouc substance consists in heating this hydrocarbon in an appropriate manner so that the new caoutchouc substance is mainly the whole mass is distilled. A jelly-like mass is thus obtained, which is heated first in a water bath and then in gradually increased oacuo in an oil bath to 150 C. whereupon our new product in the form of an elastic substance is obtained which is left behind as a residue. It forms an elastic whitish mass insoluble in alcohol and soluble in benzene. It forms a nitrosite which is a yellowish powder which becomes brown and is decomposed on being heated to 160165 C. Its brom addition productis a yellowish-white amorphous compound which becomes brown and is decomposed on being heated to from 140-150" C. Its ozonid is an oil which detonates when heated. Hydrogen peroxid is produced on heating the ozonid with water. The formation of hydrogen peroxid can be proved by the known test with titanic acid. It is in the vulcanized form a whitish not adhesive product.

Our method of polymerization may also be applied to mixtures of alpha-methylbutadiene and hydrocarbons of the erythrene series and of similar groups in various proportions and the thus formed mixtures of new caoutchouc substances may be employed 'in the arts.

Our new caoutchouc substance described herein may be vulcanized and such vulcanized caoutchouc substance may be used in the same manner as vulcanized natural caoutchouc. We can also use a mixture of our new caoutchouc substance described herein with any other caoutchouc substance for example with those described in our other applications Ser. Nos. 578,007, 578,608, 588,173 in which We claim the polymerization of erythrene, isoprene and polymethyl-substituted erythrenes and subject this mixture to vulcanization, or We may mix our new caoutchouc substance with natural caoutchouc and subject this mixture to vulcanization.

The ozonid upon decomposition with water yields a plurality of oxygen-containing decomposition products among which is found the Q-methyl-succinic aldehyde of the following graphically, represented formula:

We claim:

1. The process of producing a caoutchouclike substance from alpha-methylbutadiene which comprises heating alpha-methylbutadiene under caoutchouc-forming conditions until a product results insoluble in alcohol.

2. The process of producing a caoutchouclike substance which comprises polymerizing alpha-methylbutadiene in the presence of an agent which promotes the polymerization until a caoutchouc-like product results insoluble in alcohol.

3. The process of producing a caoutchouclike substance which comprises polymerizing alpha-methylbutadiene by heating in the presence of an agent which promotes the polymerization until a caoutchouc-like product results insoluble in alcohol.

4. The process of producing a caoutchouc- 'like substance which comprises polymerizing alpha-methylbutadiene by heating in the presence of an agent of acid reaction.

5. The process of producing a caoutchouclike substance which comprises polymerizing alpha-methylbutadiene by heating until a caoutchouc-like product results insoluble in alcohol, and separating the caoutchouc-like substance from the resulting product.

6. The process of producing a caoutchouclike substance which comprises polymerizing alpha-methylbutadiene by heating until a caoutchouc-like product results insoluble in alcohol and separating the volatile constituents from the resulting product by distillation.

7. As a new product a caoutchouc-like substance comprising the caoutchouc-like olymerization product of alpha-methylutadiene, which product is insoluble in a1- cohol but soluble in coal-tar benzene, and whiclnproduct forms an ozonid which yields u on decomposition with water a plurality o" decomposition roducts including 2- methyl-succinic alde yde.

2 os ess 8. As a new product alpha-methylbutst- 1 diene 'caoutchouc obtained by olymerization 'of alpha-methylbutadiene w 'ch is characterized by'being a whitish substance forming 1 a nitrosite which is a yellowish powder 80 which becomes brown and is decomposed on being heated to 160-165 (3.; forming a brom addition product which is a ell owishwhite amorphous compound whic becomes black and is decomposed on being heated to l150 (1., forming an ozonid which is an oil detonating when heated, the ozonid yielding upon decomposition with water 2- methyl-succinic aldehyde; and in the V111- canized mm is a whitish not adhesive prod- 40 not, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J. WRIGHT, WALTER VONNEGUT. 

